The Department of Environment and Science yesterday said rangers and the public searched a large area of the water near where the calf was found at Pallarenda on Sunday but saw no signs of other dugongs in the area. A DES spokeswoman said more than 90 minutes was also spent attempting to refloat the calf and reunite it with its mother.

“As the animal became visibly exhausted, the decision was made to move the calf to a marine facility,” she said.

The spokeswoman said DES staff considered a number of factors before moving the calf to the Reef HQ Aquarium.

“These included stresses on the animal brought on by separation and the human interaction, potential exhaustion from trying to support its own weight out of the water while beached and the effects of exposure to heat and sunburn,” she said.

Reef HQ Aquarium said it was a “sad time” for staff and that “all efforts were made to relocate the animal to other facilities throughout Australia”.